As defined within ETSI TR 102 216 V3.0.0 (2003-09), UICC designates a smart card that conforms to the specifications written and maintained by the ETSI Smart Card Platform project. Further to its typical telephone function, a mobile phone may be used for exchanging information with a contactless device by using a contactless communication protocol.
This permits the exchange of information between the contactless device and elements located within the mobile phone. Many applications are possible, such as mobile ticketing in public transport (the mobile phone acts as a boarding pass) or mobile payment (the mobile phone acts as a debit/credit payment card).
NFC is a short range high frequency wireless communication technology that enables an exchange of data between two contactless devices over a short distance, for example, 10 centimeters. NFC is an open platform technology and is standardized in ISO/IEC 18092 and ISO/IEC 21481, but incorporates a variety of pre-existing standards including ISO/IEC 14443 protocol type A and type B.
Mobile phone manufacturers are interested in connecting two different auxiliary elements to NFC chips. This is because having two separate auxiliary elements may allow for clear separation of applications coming from different issuers (banks, transport operators, telephone operators, etc.).
ETSI TS 102 613 is a standard disclosing, in particular, the principle of a so-called Single Wire Protocol (SWP). The SWP is a bit oriented point-to-point communication protocol between a contactless front end, for example, a NFC controller, and a UICC. However, this single wire protocol, as defined in ETSI TS 102 613, may permit only communication between one contactless element, for example, one NFC controller, and one UICC.
A first approach for managing information exchange between a NFC controller and two elements includes providing a NFC controller with one SWP interface for secure elements based on SWP-UICC technology and a second interface (for example, a NFC Wired Interface: NFC-WI) for proprietary secure elements. However, such approach makes the design of a NFC controller more complex as an additional interface has to be managed in a time critical environment.
A second approach includes offering NFC controllers provided with two SWP interfaces. This approach would allow using two secure elements provided with SWB-UICC technology but again, it may make the design of the NFC controller more complex as an additional interface has to be managed.